History

1
Women in Physics in Slovenia
Female students of Physics at University in
Ljubljana (By courtesy of Andreja Gomboc, Primož
Ziherl and Jasmin Anžicek)
Slovenia from past to the present
History
The first Slovenian female student of Physics and
Mathematics Henriette (Jetti) von Aigentler
(1854-1938), the famous Boltzmanns wife
As a first woman, Jetti has got the permission to
study physics at University in Gratz in 1873 upon
the recommendation of her fiance Boltzmann. Jetti
never published any scientific papers under her
own name, but she was in correspondence with the
best minds in her era. Her polite worldwide
connections helped a great deal to her husbands
achievements and enabled his frequent changes of
university chairs. She helped the success of her
son-in-law Ludwig Flamm (1885-194) and grandson
Dieter Flamm in their physics research. (By
courtesy of Stanislav Juznic)
Due to various difficulties, including the
acquirement of an appropriate or permanent job,
which female physicists encounter in a typically
male controlled physical society, it is not
strange that the relative number of women
finishing the basic physics studies (diploma
degree) dropped from 30 in period 1985-1990
(before the transition) to 20 in the next
decade (1991-2000). In the last few years
(2001-2004) this trend even worsen despite the
indices that more technologically oriented jobs
will open in future, the relative number of
female physicists obtaining diploma degree
dropped to only 12 . It is interesting to note
that the analysis of the separated data shows
that a large number of matriculated female
students does not pass the first year of physics
studies (80, compared to 50 for male
students), but practically all of those, who do,
finish their study and many of them also obtain a
PhD. Possible reasons for this larger drop out of
women in the first year are under current
investigation.
Until 15 years ago, Slovenia was a socialist
country with declared social and gender equality
and with a high percentage of employed women. The
equality was in many cases only declared and the
promotion of women and men was frequently
dependent on membership in the communist party or
on relatives.
The transition period to democracy induced many
changes in the society and brought new worth
scale distribution. Previously highly valued work
for the society, including partially enthusiastic
work in science and in teaching, became less
attractive with respect to profitable jobs in
market economy. Popularity of studies with
certain and well-paid future employment
drastically increased, for example in economy,
law, management, medicine, etc. These trends
reflected in the structure of students entering
the physics studies more than in their total
number.
Establishement of informal Network of Women in
Physics in Slovenia
Behind every successful man there is a carrying
able wife
After the attendance at the first International
Conference on Women in Physics, Paris 2002,
Slovenian female physicists associated into
informal network, which at present incorporates
already 49 women working in physics, from
academia, research institutes, to government and
industry. They share information important for
their work and contribute to positive recognition
of female physicists in physical society in
Slovenia and in general public. The goals of this
network are also prevention of the feeling of
isolation or pushing away of female scientists in
predominantly male society and presenting role
models for young students and for women who work
in totally male teams. The network is kept at
informal stage due to the known psychological
fact that women do not like hierarchically
organized society, if it is composed only of
women. Therefore all members in our network are
equal and all relationships are based only on
personal respect and friendship. Young students
of physics are invited to join the network every
year.
Women in Radiation and Nuclear Safety
Slovenia is the smallest nuclear country in a
world with one nuclear power plant and less than
2,000,000 inhabitants. The women in physics in
nuclear and radiation safety study at the
Universities in Slovenia but often gain working
experiences in other countries. The women in
physics are employed in the largest research
institution for physics in state, the Jožef
Stefan Institute, as well as in governmental
institutions and agencies. In the year 2003 a
group Alpha was established as a part of the
Nuclear Society of Slovenia (http//www.drustvo-js
.si/indexen.html) with the aim to help women in
nuclear science as well as to perform informing
of general public about issues in nuclear safety
and radiation. (By courtesy of Helena Janžekovic
and Nadja Železnik)
mojca.vilfan_at_ijs.si, andrejas_at_fiz.uni-lj.si,
mojca_at_fiz.uni-lj.si, alenka.razpet_at_ijs.si,
anamari_at_fiz.uni-lj.si, spela.stres_at_ijs.si,
andreja_at_fiz.uni-lj.si, jasna.stokanovic_at_hpe.si,
irena.drevensek_at_ijs.si, lea.spindler_at_uni-mb.si,
magda.gabrijelcic_at_salonit.si, nada.razpet_at_guest.ar
nes.si, maja.remskar_at_ijs.sigt, mojca.cepic_at_ijs.si,
nadja.zeleznik_at_gov.si, ursa_fegus_at_yahoo.com,
jana.padeznik_at_uni-mb.si, urska.bogataj_at_student.f
mf.uni-lj.si, Dasa.Grabec_at_biofiz.mf.uni-lj.si,
Norma.S.Mankoc_at_ijs.si, ana.sepe_at_ijs.si,
urska.mikac_at_ijs.si, marjetka.conradi_at_ijs.si,
Marija.Ipavec_at_gov.si, nina.gartner_at_kiss.uni-lj.s
i, marjana.egredzija_at_telesat.si,
vanja79vesel_at_hotmail.com, marjeta.sentjurc_at_ijs.si,
nina.gartner_at_pinkponk.com, svjetlana.fajfer_at_ijs
.si, DALIJA_at_slon.de, sabina.markelj_at_cmok.si,
jasmina.logar_at_ijs.si, mika.vilfan_at_ijs.si,
ursa.opara_at_fe.uni-lj.si, mojca.rangus_at_email.si,
veronika.kralj-iglic_at_fe.uni-lj.si,
Helena.Janzekovic_at_gov.si, Barbara.Horvat_at_student.f
mf.uni-lj.si, natasa.grlj_at_student.fmf.uni-lj.si,
jana.campa_at_email.si, maja.jeromel_at_email.si,
alenka.bajec_at_student.fmf.uni-lj.si,
astrobinci_at_yahoo.co.uk, marija.vidmar2_at_guest.arnes
.si, slavujka3001_at_yahoo.com, evellyn_at_volja.net,
petra.sinkovec_at_siol.com
In 2004, Republic Slovenia became a regular
member of European Community and many challenges
opened to our citizens, including a high mobility
of students and possibility for applying for
grants in other members of the Community. It is
reasonable to predict that many young talented
women will apply for scholarship in other states,
partially due to better economical perspectives
and/or due to natural wish for changes, which is
genetically built-in to female population.
Participating in the Commission for the Promotion
of Women in Science, Ministry for Science, we
together proposed many changes in the regulations
of the science in our country and many of them
were widely accepted. For example, the titles of
academic and research positions now have to be
used in both sexes (Slovenian grammar has male,
female and neutral sex), the age limits for
scholarships and promotions are in many cases
shifted for the period of maternity leave, the
statistical data on salaries started to be
collected separately for men and women, the
web-site has been created with information
important for women in science and presenting
instruction how to identify the secret
discrimination and how to fight it, etc.
(http//www.mvzt.gov.si/index.php?id342) (in
Slovenian language).